|
Or do they have a side of their own? Jim Purtilo/MPFO have mailed a second
postcard (both sides shown below) to voters in Del. Don Dwyer's
district to attack him. Previously, Jim Purtilo asserted (June
2006 Tripwire) that Del. Dwyer scuttled his effort to obtain a repeal
of ballistic fingerprinting during the 2005 Maryland legislative
session. As we show below, this claim is false and Del. Dwyer is
one of the strongest pro-RKBA supporter in the legislature. In
fact, Jim Purtilo's own words written shortly after the end of the 2005
legislative session gives the lie to his June 2006 claim.
Considering that Jim Purtilo/MPFO are supposed (by supporters) to be
pro-RKBA and claim to use money collected from gun owners for a
pro-RKBA purpose, this attack using MPFO money is a betrayal of gun
owner interests. It is also a violation of Jim Purtilo's own
announced voter guide policy (see District 33) "All legislators must know that if they do right for our issue then they can count on us not to unseat them." MPFO (Marylanders for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership) is a political action committee (PAC) established to support the election of pro-RKBA candidates to the legislature. MPFO primarily raises money by holding raffles of guns and they distribute money to support political candidates. Historically, they tend to distribute 50 cents on the dollar collected, approximately, to candidates. MPFO is closely tied to Tripwire, a Jim Purtilo newsletter, as advertising in the Tripwire newsletter and on Jim Purtilo's "myguns.net" web site of their raffles will confirm. Jim Purtilo claims that Del. Dwyer scuttled his ballistic fingerprinting repeal efforts in the 2005 legislative session (June 2006 Tripwire), but immediately after the 2005 legislature adjourned he was praising Del. Dwyer for his "efforts on our behalf" (see his April 12, 2005 action alert). In that action alert Jim Purtilo says: |
|
|
Please take a moment to let some pro-gun Senators and Delegates know how
much we appreciate their efforts on our behalf. This will only take a few
moments of your time in the next few days, and not only is it appropriate
for us to do, it will continue to telegraph our active involvement in the
political process to those who need to know we'll be there for them next
election. (All extensions listed below can be dialed toll free at either
410 841 xxxx or 301 858 xxxx.) |
|
Even more important is that Del. Dwyer has been in the vanguard of efforts to accomplish what Jim Purtilo claimed was "our top and achievable goal for the session"
(see his remarks about the 2005 bill SB 424). Even before Jim
Purtilo was promoting ballistic fingerprinting repeal in 2005, Del.
Tony O'Donnell offered a floor amendment to remove funding for
ballistic fingerprinting from the budget bill in March 2004. The
amendment was defeated 47-90, but Del. Dwyer voted for defunding the
program. The record of that vote can be found at: A full repeal of ballistic fingerprinting was attempted also in 2004 with crossfiled bills offered in the Maryland House and Senate. One of the House sponsors of the 2004 ballistic fingerprint repeal bill (HB251) was also one our strongest friends, Del. Carmen Amedori. Jim Purtilo had distressed the RKBA community with attacks on Del. Amedori in 2003. Quoting from a message from Giff Nickol dated May 11, 2003 responding to Jim Purtilo's attack on Del. Amedori, "Just a week or two ago, I got the latest issue of the Tripwire, wherein Jim Purtillo, whom I like and respect, attacked the Ehrlich administration and Delegate Carmen Amedori in particular, one of our staunchest allies, for a perceived lack of support for us during this past legislative session. This despite the fact that Carmen and other pro-gun politicians met with a number of gun rights people and pointed out to them that with the budget, slots, and all the other issues facing the new administration, gun rights could not be on the agenda this session. No new gun legislation would be approved, but there would be no push this session to reverse some of the bad legislation enacted during the Glendening years either. What is so difficult to understandabout that?" Nor did Jim Purtilo take these comments from Giff Nickol and similar comments from others to heart -- rather he continued to attack Gov. Ehrlich and Del. Amedori throughout 2003 (see his posting in December). By the time Jim Purtilo declared ballistic fingerprinting repeal his top goal in 2005, only the Maryland Senate offered a suitable bill for him to endorse and prior-year House sponsors had lost interest. When Jim-come-lately Purtilo was ready to endorse ballistic fingerprinting repeal in 2005, he'd already alienated many pro-RKBA House members with his attacks on friends in 2003 and 2004. But, of course, he can't blame their lack of support on his bad behavior, he has to blame some one else. Currently, Jim Purtilo's "blamee de jour" is Del. Don Dwyer. Jim Purtilo has quite the record of working with pro-RKBA legislators and then turning on them -- former Del. Joe Getty, a good friend to gun owners, made that point in the Oct. 3, 2003 Gazette article "Under fire, governor drops Exile," by Thomas Dennison. In making those attacks, Jim Purtilo has practically never documented his assertions; instead he has adopted the hallmark approach of making unsupported allegations, a technique perfected by our gun-grabber opponents who lie about everything. Just like his previous attacks, Jim Purtilo hasn't bothered to explain his real reasons for his attack. This attack fits a pattern of Jim Purtilo's recent behavior in striking out at pro-RKBA Republican government official such as Del. Carmen Amedori and Gov. Robert Ehrlich and at other pro-RKBA activists (see Jim Purtilo's web site attacking Steve Dirlik and Henry Heymering). It appears that it isn't enought to sponsor bills Jim Purtilo likes or to fight for us in specific ways or to support his top priority of ballistic fingerprinting repeal to gain his loyalty. So, what does it take? To answer that question, we turn to Jim Purtilo's still posted "VOTER GUIDE 2002". In his guide he endorses re-election of John Arnick and Sonny Minnick for district 6 and endorses the election of newcomer Democrat Eric Bromwell for district 8. On April 3, 2000, as a last-ditch effort to defeat Glendening's "Responsible Gun Safety Act of 2000" (SB211), House members offered a series of amendments designed to attact gun grabber votes. The intent was to change the bill in the House which would have forced the bill to be reconsidered in the Senate where, it was hoped, that stalling tactics would allow the clock to be run out before the bill passed. Some legislators voted against the bill but voted against some of the amendments and in patterns to defeat the amendments while disguising their support for the bill. Both Delegates Arnick and Minick voted against amendments designed to defeat SB211. It was SB211 that produced a ban on sales in Maryland of new handguns, gave us ballistic fingerprinting and other anti-gun provisions that are hurting us today (the roles played by both Delegates Arnick and Minick in this amendment fight are described here) Those two delegates aren't the only examples of people who voted the wrong way on the amendments and who subsequently received a favorable nod in Jim Purtilo's "VOTER GUIDE 2002". In that guide Purtilo endorsed Delegates Bohanan, Cane and Sophocleus even though they voted against us on some amendments to the "Responsible Gun Safety Act of 2000". Jim Purtilo even goes so far as to deceive his readers about Del. Sophocleus' actions by saying "Ted Sophocleus ... did vote with us on the Gun Violence Act in 2000." Del. Sophocleus acted to help Glendening's gun grab become law and Jim Purtilo knows it. Why would Pro-RKBA Jim Purtilo support Delegates Arnick, Minick, Bohanan, Cane and Sophocleus for re-election in 2002 after they helped Glendening pass his prime anti-gun package in 2000? It seems that Purtilo is willing to overlook anti-RKBA votes of members of the Democratic Party. The legislators he attacks are all Republicans . . . a pattern of behavior for Jim Purtilo. Let's not forget Democrat Delegate Bromwell who Jim Purtilo endorsed in his "VOTER GUIDE 2002". In 2004, Mr. Bromwell joined other members of the Democratic party in voting to keep Ballistic Fingerprinting in the budget. You have to wonder why Jim Purtilo isn't going after Democrat Del. Bromwell for supporting the continuation of ballistic fingerprinting instead of Republican Del. Dwyer who voted to eliminate its funding. There is a pattern of behavior in that Jim Purtilo has covered for some anti-gun votes by legislators (so long as they are Democrats) while attacking pro-RKBA legislators (so long as they are Republicans) for behavior that is visible only to him and not publicly documented. It is time to recognize this behavior as not benefiting Maryland gun owners. It is also time to realize that Jim Purtilo is not acting in the interest of Maryland RKBA and not acting for Maryland gun owners, but for his own interests and the way he is acting brings discredit on himself. Those of you who would be silent on
this, who believe that Jim Purtilo's actions are better ignored to
preserve the appearance of unity by gunnies, are allowing his foolish
attacks on our friends to succeed by your inaction. In silence,
you are showing those who would be our friends that they cannot depend
on you to defend them when they are falsely attacked by someone
claiming to speak for your interest. It isn't just Delegate Dwyer
who is being attacked here -- just like it wasn't Delegate Amedori who
was being attacked in 2003. All of us supporting freedom are
being attacked. While we aren't responsible for these attacks, our
silence and our failures to support our friends make it appear we agree
with the attacks to our discredit.
|